Group 5

Comparative Group 5: Students’ voice as teaching and learning methods in higher education and assessment

students’ centered, methods, participatory learning environment, assessment

The comparative group work will be developed under ‘student’s voice’ perspective that has found its roots within the English and American contexts (Czerniawski & Kidd, 2011; Flutter & Rudduck, 2004; Rudduck & McIntyre, 2007). The core of this new educational vision is related to the recognition of the important contribute given by students to the improvement of the teaching and learning process, and policies as well (Cook-Sather, 2009). Rethinking the role of the students within educational contexts means to recognize the collective contribution of diverse students’ presence, participation, and power in the processes of planning, and research (Cook-Sather, 2002; 2006). Cook-Sather (2014) explored ‘rights’ and ‘respect’ through students’ voice perspective, underling that ‘If a rights framework is not combined with genuine respect for all parties involved and intentional structures to support collective action by adults and young people, which includes student empowerment, then the result can be empty rhetoric—claims not acted on in practice?’(p.134). Putting into practice this perspective based on students’ voices, rights, and power, improve teaching and learning methods, generate democratic learning environment (Grion, 2013), empowering students as responsible agents of their own learning process also through their active participation within the assessment process (Fielding, 2012).

The expected learning outcomes of this CGW is related to the development of awareness in the participants of new learning environments; the comparison of policies and of the levels of adoption of students’ voice perspective in the different countries with the consequent impact on the innovation of teaching and learning methods, and assessment system.

Comparative research question

1. How do policies support students’ participation within teaching and learning process?
2. How higher education institutions encourage students’ participation in the university’s life, and decision making processes?
3. Are there specific university’s project /actions in which students are usually involved?
4. What is the role of students in the teaching and learning process?
5. How do teachers encourage students to participate in the teaching, learning, and assessment process?
6. What is the pedagogical approach of didactics at university?
7. What are the characteristics of assessment culture?

Context of comparison

1. Different policies at national and local universities level
2. Different theoretical approaches to investigate the didactical approaches in different countries.
3. State of the art of teaching and learning methods, and the role of students in assessment system according to student’s voice perspective, at the universities involved. They will be investigated through some narrative interviews

Categories of comparison (selection for the transnational essay is based on participants research interests)

1. educational policies: Which national or universities policies to support student’s participation?
2. pedagogical teachers approach: From which pedagogical approach teachers’ didactics is guided? It usually has a strong impacts on the roles of teaching and learning actors, and on the didactics and practices;
3. the role of students in the learning, teaching and evaluation system: Which is the role of students within the formal contexts of learning? What is the level of innovation and the level of democracy within the learning environment?

References

Cook-Sather, A. (2006). Sound, presence, and power: Exploring ‘student voice’ in educational research and reform. Curriculum Inquiry, 36 (4), 359– 390.

Cook-Sather, A. (2014). The trajectory of student voice in educational research. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 49(2), 131.

Boud (2000). Sustainable Assessment: Rethinking Assessment for Learning Society. Studies in Continuing Education, 22(2), 151-167.

Fielding, M. (2001). Students as radical agents of change. Journal of educational change, 2(2), 123-141.

Fielding, M. (2012). Beyond student voice: patterns of partnership and the demands of deep democracy. Revista de Educación,359,45-56.

Grion, V. (2014). Meanings of 'student voice' in Italy: Emerging experiences and practices. Connect, (207), 19.

Mitra, D. (2011). Student participation. Oxford Bibliographies in Education .

http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo- 9780199756810/obo-9780199756810-0066.xml?rskey=GDptnG&result=75&q

Rudduck, J., & McIntyre, D. (2007). Improving learning through consulting pupils. London: Routledge.